The present invention relates to the recording, monitoring, and verification of the prescription, dispensing, and delivery of controlled substances and/or other dangerous prescription medications. In performing these functions, the invention solves a number of important but loosely related problems inherent in today's system for prescribing, dispensing, and delivering controlled substances while having some assurance that multiple medications will not be abused, will not create drug-drug interactions, and will be used only in prescribed amounts as intended for an identified patient. By monitoring drugs that are prescribed and delivered, the invention reduces the chances that legitimate patients may receive combinations of medications that may produce adverse results while also limiting the potential for abuse by substance abusers and those who cater to them.
Existing systems for managing medication prescriptions, while compliant with the Privacy Regulations under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), are vulnerable to confidentiality abuses due to the wide variety of individuals who have access to names, medications and other individually identifiable and personally sensitive health information. Without monitoring systems for narcotics and other dangerous drugs, the medical industry is susceptible to a number of abuses, including doctor shopping, abuse in which a patient can go to several doctors and pharmacies to obtain multiple prescriptions for the same malady. In states that have controlled substance monitoring systems, the incidence of such abuse has declined dramatically. However, even existing monitoring systems have limited means to prevent or monitor fraudulent behavior such as doctor shopping, prescription alteration, prescription forgery, or any number of other illegitimate schemes.
The invention prevents such abuse, but has the added advantage of using patient-unique biometrics, to identify and verify patients and physician-prescribers, and track and monitor their medication prescriptions. In this manner, the system can provide early notice and override false documentation, can catch innocent errors, and can regulate medications without subjecting physicians and pharmacies to the fear of over-regulation or intrusive regulation, allay patient advocate concerns over potential privacy abuses, yet still provide accountability and responsibility to the process as a whole, for both physicians and patients.